$200,000 bail for men on ATM scam charges

The two men charged with 84 counts of fraud arising out an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) skimming scam, discovered on July 6, yesterday were granted a total of $200,000 bail in the Port-of-Spain jurisdiction alone. Aaron Ramlal, 18, a backhoe operator, and Rajendranath Singh, 24, a mechanic, both of St Helena Village, Piarco, appeared before Magistrate Marcia Murray in the Port-of-Spain First Court. They will appear before courts in Tunapuna, Arima and Sangre Grande later this month. The two are jointly charged with 42 counts of engaging in the fraudulent use of an ATM card under the Electronic Transfer of Funds Act and 42 counts of access with intent to commit or facilitate the commission of an offence under the Computer Misuse Act.

 

 

The men were arrested on July 10 by police from the Fraud Squad, led by Supt Vincel Edwards and ASP Gary Edwards, and the charges were laid on Sunday by Sgt Andy Williams. Standing before Murray yesterday, Ramlal and Singh pleaded not guilty to 21 counts of fraudulent use of an ATM card. They were not called upon to plead to 21 counts of using a fraudulent ATM card with intent to defraud Republic Bank Ltd and RBC Ltd of $15,480. According to documents submitted to the court yesterday, the men are alleged to have committed the offences at ATMs belonging to Republic Bank Ltd, RBC and First Citizens in Sangre Grande, Trincity, Tunapuna, Port-of-Spain and San Juan on June 29 and July 1 and 2. Murray declined to treat the series of offences as one matter because infractions had reportedly occurred in other jurisdictions. The two are to appear in Arima on July 23, Sangre Grande on July 24, Tunapuna on July 26 and Port-of-Spain on July 30.